Since the beginning of time, people of all nations have taken up arms against their neighbors. But, with the development of the modern family, the most terrifying warfare takes place amidst the battles of sibling rivalry.
There are 51 students on campus who have a sibling also on campus. For most students, difficulties between siblings begin with tension at home that develops and evolves once they are on campus. Siblings often find themselves in a constant competition over personal achievement at school.
One such sibling pair’s rivalry crosses from classrooms into actual competitions. Two campus siblings, both members of the campus Academic Decathlon [Acadec] team, took the frequent battles of siblinghood to a new, very real level.
“Anne [?05] and I compete in everything,” Will Hierholzer, ’07, said. “But, she always loses; in Acadec, she foolishly bet that I would win more medals than she did. As a result, I lowered my performance and won fewer medals that she did, so I could win a one dollar bet.”
Many sibling arguments find their source in conflict over sharing possessions. Fights can occur over the oddest things, varying from borrowing each other’s clothes to deciding who gets to choose the music on car rides.
“Having a sister is a challenge,” Victor Cabias, ’05, said. “Choosing music in the car is definitely an issue. But, it’s nice because I have met a lot of different people that I would never have met without her.”
Mutual friends can sometimes focus on one sibling and totally neglect the other. These types of relationships compose some of the disadvantages of siblings being together on campus.
“It’s annoying to have my brother on campus with me,” Kevin Bowen, ’07, said. “We are constantly being compared to one another. It makes me feel like I am being judged on my actions, as well as my brother’s.”
Despite conflicts that may have occurred in their growing-up years, some sibling pairs have discovered the positive aspects of having their siblings with them on campus.
“When my sister and I were younger we use to fight over anything and everything,” Garret Stipe, ’06, said. “Now, I think it’s fun to have my sister with me at school because I get to embarrass her.”
Having a class with a sibling can add a new dimension to the relationship.
“My sister and I fight a lot, but mostly in a teasing sort of way,” Tim Wilborn, ’06, said. “It’s cool to have a sister on campus. But, it was a little strange at first; we have a class together and also run track and field, so that took some getting used to.
Unlike the most common sibling relationships, often of the quarrelsome sort, some siblings choose to focus on the advantages of being at school together, using it as a common denominator that strengthens their relationship.
